Inter-system connection adapter and terminal

ABSTRACT

The present invention is to provide a system connection adapter and a terminal device, which allow a function which is newly developed and added by a maker on a system A to be handled on an open system B even in the case where the system A which is an existing system for supervising and controlling such as an air conditioning apparatus and a lighting apparatus installed in a building or at home is connected with the open system B which is made up by using a protocol different from that used by the system A. This allows for ease in expanding functions. According to the system connection adapter, a conventional command, which is the original of the system A, and therefore not specified in the open system B and has no correspondence available, is added with a frame header B by a frame encapsulation and decapsulation means, and transmitted in its original form. Then, the terminal device connected on the system B is provided with the function of extracting a command A  104  from a frame B transmitted, and interpreting the command A to be processed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a system connection adapter anda terminal device for connecting a system for supervising andcontrolling such as an air conditioning apparatus and a lightingapparatus which are installed in a building or at home, for example, toan open system which is made up by using a protocol different from thatused by the system for supervising and controlling.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventionally, a network management system, which supervises andcontrols such as an air conditioning apparatus and a lighting apparatusinstalled in such as a building, is making up its own original networksystem. For that reason, the conventional network management system isnot allowed to be interconnected with other systems.

[0003] In recent years, however, there is a rising demand of making up alow cost and highly efficient system by unifying the standards ofnetwork systems, thereby allowing various devices and open systems to beselected freely depending on the purposes, and by interconnecting thesystems.

[0004] Under such circumstances, a problem has been posed with deviceswhich are connectable only with maker's original network systems. Thosedevices are not operable with open systems, which causes trouble to thesales performance.

[0005] In order to solve such a problem, Unexamined Patent PublicationNo. Hei7-212405, for example, has proposed a method of building anintegrated heterogeneous multi-protocol network through connection ofsingle protocol networks of different kinds from each other by means ofa gateway which provides transparent interconnection.

[0006] When such a connection method is used, there is a merit ofallowing the devices and systems of different makers to be connectedwith each other. To the contrary, however, it is becoming difficult fora maker to establish predominance with its original function beingdeveloped and added.

[0007] Besides, another problem has been posed of handling an originalfunction which is not specified in open systems.

[0008] The present invention is directed to solving those problemsdiscussed above. It is an object of the present invention to provide asystem connection adapter and a terminal device which allow for ease indeveloping a system product having an additional function which ismaker's original and thereby predominant over those of other companies,and also allow for ease in expanding functions.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A system connection adapter according to the present inventionmay includes a command A transmitting and receiving means whichtransmits and receives a command A relating to a system A, a command Btransmitting and receiving means which transmits and receives a commandB relating to a system B which is made up by using a protocol differentfrom a protocol used by the system A, a frame B transmitting andreceiving means which transmits and receives a communication frame Brelating to the system B, an intersystem command correspondencememorizing means which memorizes correspondence relation between thecommand A and the command B, a command A analyzing means which analyzesthe command A from the command A transmitting and receiving means, andjudges, with reference to the intersystem command correspondencememorizing means, whether to establish a correspondence between thecommand A and the command B, a command conversion means whichestablishes, with reference to either one of a judgement result by thecommand A analyzing means and the intersystem command correspondencememorizing means, the correspondence between the command A from thecommand A transmitting and receiving means and the command B from thecommand B transmitting and receiving means, and converts the command Aand the command B from one to the other so as to mediate transmissionand reception between the command B transmitting and receiving means andthe command A transmitting and receiving means, and a frameencapsulation and decapsulation means which performs one ofencapsulation and decapsulation, with reference to the judgement resultby the command A analyzing means, of the communication frame B from theframe B transmitting and receiving means and the command A from thecommand A transmitting and receiving means so as to mediate transmissionand reception between the frame B transmitting and receiving means andthe command A transmitting and receiving means.

[0010] A terminal device according to the present invention may beconnected to a system B in a system which is provided with a system A,the system B and a connection adapter, the system B being made up byusing a protocol different from that used by the system A, and theconnection adapter performing one of converting a command A relating tothe system A and a command B relating to the system B from one to theother and exchanging the command A and the command B by means ofencapsulating the command A in a frame B relating to the system B andextracting the command A encapsulated from the frame B. The terminaldevice may include a command B transmitting and receiving means, whichtransmits and receives the command B to and from the connection adapter,a command B processing section, which performs one of interpreting thecommand B and generating the command B and transmits and receives thecommand B to and from the command B transmitting and receiving means, aframe B transmitting and receiving means, which transmits and receivesthe frame B to and from the connection adapter, an encapsulation anddecapsulation means, which performs one of encapsulating the command Ainto the frame B and decapsulating the frame B to extract the command Aand transmits and receives the frame B to and from the frame Btransmitting and receiving means; and a command A processing section,which performs one of interpreting the command A and generating thecommand A and transmits and receives the command A to and from theencapsulation and decapsulation means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system connection adapter accordingto a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an processing procedure of acommand A analyzing means according to the first embodiment of thepresent invention;

[0013]FIG. 3 shows simplified explanatory diagrams illustratingencapsulation (a) and decapsulation (b) of a communication framecorresponding, respectively, to adding a header and removing the header;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a device connected on the side ofSystem B; and

[0015]FIG. 5 shows explanatory diagrams of connection modes (a), (b) and(c) between an open system or open systems and existing systems by meansof the system connection adapter or adapters according to the firstembodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0016] Embodiment 1.

[0017] A system connection adapter according to a first embodiment ofthe present invention is now discussed.

[0018]FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a block diagram of the system connectionadapter according to the present invention and a flow chart illustratinga processing procedure of a command A analyzing means, respectively.FIGS. 3(a) and (b) are simplified explanatory diagrams illustratingencapsulation and decapsulation of a communication frame corresponding,respectively, to adding and removing a header. FIG. 4 is a block diagramof a device which is connected on the side of System B. FIGS. 5(a), (b),and (c) are explanatory diagrams illustrating modes, in each of which anopen system is or open systems are connected with conventional systemsby means of the system connection adapter or system connection adaptersaccording to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] With referring to FIG. 1, a reference numeral 101 denotes anexisting system (which will be referred to hereinafter as System A),which supervises and controls such as an air conditioning apparatus anda lighting apparatus in a building or at home. A reference numeral 102denotes an open standard system (which will be referred to hereinafteras System B), which is made up by using a protocol which is differentfrom that used by System A 101. A reference numeral 103 denotes a systemconnection adapter for connecting System A 101 and System B 102. Areference numeral 104 denotes a command corresponding to System A 101(which will be referred to hereinafter as Command A). A referencenumeral 105 denotes a command corresponding to System B 102 (which willbe referred to hereinafter as Command B). A reference numeral 106denotes a communication frame corresponding to System B 102 (which willbe referred to hereinafter as Frame B).

[0020] Further, in the block configuration of the system connectionadapter 103, a reference numeral 107 denotes a Command A transmittingand receiving means which transmits and receives Command A 104 to andfrom System A 101. A reference numeral 108 denotes a Command A analyzingmeans which receives Command A 104 which is transmitted from the CommandA transmitting and receiving means 107 and then analyzing it. Areference numeral 109 denotes a command conversion means which convertsCommand A 104 and Command B 106 from one to the other. A referencenumeral 110 denotes a frame encapsulation and decapsulation means whichreceives a command transmitted from the Command A analyzing means 108and then encapsulating it in Frame B 106, or reversely, fordecapsulating Frame B 106 encapsulated to extract the command. Areference numeral 111 denotes a Command B transmitting and receivingmeans which transmits and receives Command B 105 to and from System B102. A reference numeral 112 denotes a Frame B transmitting andreceiving means which transmits and receives a communication framecorresponding to System B 102. A reference numeral 113 denotes anintersystem command correspondence memorizing means.

[0021] With referring to FIGS. 3(a) and (b), a reference numeral 301denotes a frame header corresponding to System B 102 (which will bereferred to hereinafter as Frame Header B). With referring to the blockdiagram of FIG. 4, a reference numeral 401 denotes a device which isconnected on the side of System B (which will be referred to hereinafteras a terminal device). A reference numeral 402 denotes a Command Btransmitting and receiving means. A reference numeral 403 denotes aCommand B processing section. A reference numeral 404 denotes a Frame Btransmitting and receiving means. A reference numeral 405 denotes aframe encapsulation and decapsulation means. A reference numeral 406denotes a Command A processing section. Further, with reference to FIGS.5 (a), (b), and (c), a reference numeral 501 denotes an open system. Areference numeral 502 denotes a system connection adapter. A referencenumeral 503 denotes an existing system.

[0022] An operation of the system connection adapter 103 is nowexplained with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3.

[0023] Firstly, the explanation is given in the case where a command istransmitted to System B 102 from System A 101.

[0024] Command A 104 transmitted to the system connection adapter 103from System A 101 is received by the Command A transmitting andreceiving means 107, and then passed to the Command A analyzing means108.

[0025] Now, with reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 2, aprocessing procedure of Command A 104 by the Command A analyzing means108 is explained.

[0026] Command A 104, after being passed to the Command A analyzingmeans 107, is interpreted of its command type. Then, it is judged withreference to the intersystem command correspondence memorizing means 113whether or not the command type has a correspondence to that of CommandB 105.

[0027] If it is judged that the command type has a correspondence tothat of Command B 105 of System B, then Command A 104 is transmitted tothe command conversion means 109.

[0028] To the contrary, if it is judged that the command type has nocorrespondence to that of Command B 105, then Command A 104 arrived istransmitted to the frame encapsulation and decapsulation means 110.

[0029] In this manner, Command A 104 is sorted and then passed either tothe command conversion means 109 or to the frame encapsulation anddecapsulation means 110.

[0030] With Command A 104 being passed to the command conversion means109, the whole command thereof is interpreted and then converted intoCommand B 105 with reference again to the intersystem commandcorrespondence memorizing means 113. Command B 105 converted istransmitted to System B 102 by way of the Command B transmitting andreceiving means 111.

[0031] In this manner, Command A 104 is converted into Command B 105 tobe transmitted to System B 102.

[0032] Further, Command A 104, after being passed to the frameencapsulation and decapsulation means 110, as shown in FIG. 3(a), isadded with Frame Header B 301 to generate Frame B 106.

[0033] Frame B 106 generated is transmitted to System B 102 by way ofthe Frame B transmitting and receiving means 112. In this manner,Command A 104 is encapsulated in its original form in Frame B 106 andthen transmitted.

[0034] The explanation is now given in the case where a command istransmitted to the side of System A 101 from the side of System B 102.

[0035] In the case where Command B 105 is transmitted to System A 101from System B 102, Command B 105 is transmitted to the system connectionadapter 103 from System B 102, firstly.

[0036] In the system connection adapter 103, the Command B transmittingand receiving means 112 receives Command B 105 and passes it to thecommand conversion means 109.

[0037] The command conversion means 109 interprets the whole command ofCommand B 105 received and converts the command into Command A 104 withreference to the intersystem command correspondence memorizing means113. Command A 104 converted is transmitted to System A 101 by way ofthe Command A transmitting and receiving means 107.

[0038] Further, in the case where Command A 104 being encapsulated byFrame B 106 is transmitted to the system connection adapter 103 fromSystem B 102, the encapsulated Command A 104 is received firstly by theFrame B transmitting and receiving means 112, and then passed to theframe encapsulation and decapsulation means 110.

[0039] At this stage, the frame encapsulation and decapsulation means110, as shown in FIG. 3(b), removes Frame Header B 301 from Frame B 106,and extracts Command A 104 in Frame B 106. Command A 104 extracted istransmitted to System A 101 by way of the Command A transmitting andreceiving means 107. In this manner, Command B 105 and Frame B 106 aretransmitted to System A 101 by way of the system connection adapter 103.

[0040] Further, System B 102, which is interconnected with other systemsby means of the system connection adapter 103 discussed above, mayalternatively be connected with a terminal device which is equippedadditionally with a function to process Command A 104 other than thefunction to process Command B 105. This allows the system to handle amaker's original function. As a result, this terminal device 401 allowsthe maker to establish predominance over other open devices.

[0041] The above mentioned point is now explained with reference to theblock configuration shown in FIG. 4.

[0042] Firstly, Command B 105, after being transmitted from the systemconnection adapter 103, reaches the Command B processing section 403,where to be interpreted, by way of the Command B transmitting andreceiving means 402. Command B 105, after being generated in the CommandB processing section 403, is then transmitted to the system connectionadapter 103 following a reverse course.

[0043] Similarly, Frame B 106, after being transmitted from the systemconnection adapter 103, reaches the frame encapsulation anddecapsulation means 405, where to be decapsulated to extract Command A104, by way of the Frame B transmitting and receiving means 404. CommandA 104 extracted is interpreted in the Command A processing section 406.Command A 104, after being generated in the Command A processing section406, is encapsulated in Frame B 106 by the frame encapsulation anddecapsulation means 405, and then transmitted to the system connectionadapter 103 following a reverse course.

[0044] In this manner, Command A 104 encapsulated by Command B 105 orFrame B 106 is processed through the system connection adapter 103.

[0045] Since the system connection adapter 103 according to the presentinvention is configured as discussed above, a conventional command,which is the original of System A 101, and therefore not specified inthe open system B 102 and has no correspondence available to the opensystem B 102, is added with Frame Header B 301 by the frameencapsulation and decapsulation means, and then transmitted in itsoriginal form. For this, the terminal device 401, which is connected onthe side of System B, is provided with the function to extract Command A104 from Frame B 106 transmitted, and interpret it to be processed. Forthat reason, even if it is newly developed and added by a maker, thefunction is allowed to be handled on the open System B. As a result,this allows for ease in expanding functions.

[0046] Further, with reference to the figures, separate interfaces areprovided for Command B 105 and Frame B 106 on the side of System B 102.Alternatively, however, a single interface may be provided instead sothat the separation may be achieved through signal processing.

[0047] Still alternatively, with further reference to the mode ofconnecting an open system and an existing system by means of the systemconnection adapter, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the system connection adaptermay be provided for each of a variety of existing systems. This mode ofconnection allows for ease in expanding a system function. As a result,a complicated system may be made up simply, thereby contributing tosystem making up methods.

[0048] Still more alternatively, as shown in (b) of the same figure, asingle unit of the system connection adapter may be used for handling asingle open system and two or more existing systems. Still more, asshown in (c) of the same figure, it is also possible to connect two ormore open systems and two or more existing systems by a single unit ofthe system connection adapter. It is to be noted, however, that themodes of connection are not limited to those introduced above.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0049] Since the system connection adapter 103 and the terminal device401 according to the present invention, thus being configured, may havethe following effects.

[0050] Even the original command of System A, which is not specified inthe open System B 102 and has no correspondence available, is allowed tobe handled, for being encapsulated to be transmitted or extractedthrough the decapsulation by the frame encapsulation and decapsulationmeans. As a result, commands may be exchanged between system A andSystem B with each other.

[0051] Further, the terminal device which is connected to System B isprovided with the means of extracting Command A from Frame B andinterpreting it, and reversely, generating Command A and encapsulatingit in Frame B. This allows even the original operation of System A to behandled (executed) in System B.

[0052] This allows for ease in developing system products with maker'soriginal functions being added. In addition to that, this also allowsfor ease in expanding functions.

1. A system connection adapter, comprising: a command A transmitting andreceiving means which transmits and receives a command A relating to asystem A; a command B transmitting and receiving means which transmitsand receives a command B relating to a system B which is made up byusing a protocol different from a protocol used by the system A; a frameB transmitting and receiving means which transmits and receives acommunication frame B relating to the system B; an intersystem commandcorrespondence memorizing means which memorizes correspondence relationbetween the command A and the command B; a command A analyzing meanswhich analyzes the command A from the command A transmitting andreceiving means, and judges, with reference to the intersystem commandcorrespondence memorizing means, whether to establish a correspondencebetween the command A and the command B; a command conversion meanswhich establishes, with reference to either one of a judgement result bythe command A analyzing means and the intersystem command correspondencememorizing means, the correspondence between the command A from thecommand A transmitting and receiving means and the command B from thecommand B transmitting and receiving means, and converts the command Aand the command B from one to the other so as to mediate transmissionand reception between the command B transmitting and receiving means andthe command A transmitting and receiving means; and a frameencapsulation and decapsulation means which performs one ofencapsulation and decapsulation, with reference to the judgement resultby the command A analyzing means, of the communication frame B from theframe B transmitting and receiving means and the command A from thecommand A transmitting and receiving means so as to mediate transmissionand reception between the frame B transmitting and receiving means andthe command A transmitting and receiving means.
 2. A terminal devicewhich is connected to a system B in a system which is provided with asystem A, the system B and a connection adapter, the system B being madeup by using a protocol different from that used by the system A, and theconnection adapter performing one of converting a command A relating tothe system A and a command B relating to the system B from one to theother and exchanging the command A and the command B by means ofencapsulating the command A in a frame B relating to the system B andextracting the command A encapsulated from the frame B, the terminaldevice comprising: a command B transmitting and receiving means, whichtransmits and receives the command B to and from the connection adapter;a command B processing section, which performs one of interpreting thecommand B and generating the command B and transmits and receives thecommand B to and from the command B transmitting and receiving means; aframe B transmitting and receiving means, which transmits and receivesthe frame B to and from the connection adapter; an encapsulation anddecapsulation means, which performs one of encapsulating the command Ainto the frame B and decapsulating the frame B to extract the command Aand transmits and receives the frame B to and from the frame Btransmitting and receiving means; and a command A processing section,which performs one of interpreting the command A and generating thecommand A and transmits and receives the command A to and from theencapsulation and decapsulation means.